Queen Elizabeth Hotel workers stage another surprise strike

The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Workers at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal called another surprise strike on Friday morning to put pressure on their employer. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi)

Workers at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal called another surprise strike on Friday morning to put pressure on their employer.

The Federation of Commerce, a union affiliated with the CSN, announced that the 600 workers at the Montreal hotel had decided to go on strike the day after a one-day strike at 23 Quebec hotels.

This is not the first time that Queen Elizabeth employees have surprised their employer with a strike; similar pressure tactics were deployed on July 28 at the Marriott Château Champlain and Bonaventure hotels.

In a press release, Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Federation of Commerce, argues that it is time for the employer to "show some seriousness at the bargaining table and encourage a rapid resolution of the labour dispute."

He criticized the employer for taking "one step forward, two steps back."

The workers are demanding a 36 per cent pay rise over four years. Their union points out that they have had increases totalling 8 per cent over the last four years, well below the inflation rate, which has exceeded this rate for the year 2022 alone.

They also demand three weeks' holiday from the first year of service to attract new workers, an employer contribution to the group insurance scheme and better training for the next generation.

For his part, Éric Hamel, General Manager of the Greater Montreal Hotel Association, maintains that the increases agreed "amply cover inflation."

"There's no doubt that today, if demand remains at 36 per cent for salaries, for example, our hoteliers just don't have the capacity to pay those salaries," he said on Thursday, during the strike day. 

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 9, 2024.